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Published: Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 10:52 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 25, 2013 at 10:52 p.m.

More guns do not automatically make us safer, especially when those guns are permitted in public where people have been known to have impaired judgment. But that did not deter the Honorables from making it happen. Both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly have passed a law that allows people to carry guns into bars and restaurants.

It was a bad idea when it was introduced, and it is still a bad idea. Guns and alcohol do not mix, and a law barring armed patrons from drinking at the bar is no guarantee that they will be sober or maintain control of their firearm.

The ratified bill also allows concealed weapons on playgrounds, hiking trails and other public recreation areas, and it allows guns in locked cars on school and college campuses. In a separate provision in the state budget, lawmakers have sanctioned allowing armed volunteer guards – with no liability for any collateral damage if these unpaid "school resource officers" discharge their weapons "good-faith."

The bill on Gov. Pat McCrory's desk would require that these volunteers be retired officers or military police, and they would have to receive updated firearms training and instruction on children's social and mental development.

But there are better ways to make schools more secure, most of them involving better vigilance by school employees and building improvements that prevent unauthorized visitors from wandering the halls without an escort. The New Hanover County Schools recently commissioned a study that identified potential security risks and recommended ways to secure the buildings to keep unauthorized people out.

Locking doors, reinforcing them if necessary and controlling access points would ensure that visitors funnel into one area to be admitted to the school.

Beyond the security issues is the question of the type of school environment we want. Do we really want schools to be a place that resembles a prison more than a nurturing, inviting environment? Parents and the community should feel welcome at our schools, which need all the help they can get.

Armed guards at the front door or in the hallways convey a much different atmosphere.

Most middle and high schools already have at least one resource officer, mostly to handle problems that erupt among students. The call to put armed bodies in all schools was an emotional reaction to the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., but many school districts and county governing boards are having second thoughts about whether such extreme measures are necessary to provide the type of security the schools need.

Schools need to be smart and more vigilant about allowing visitors free rein. They should have a system that allows them to lock down areas in case of an unauthorized visitor or a nearby police chase. But we should not turn our schools into armed camps.

Children need a place that is safe and cheerful – inviting. They do not need a place where an armed guard greets parents and children at the door, conveying the opposite message: that they are never safe.

<p>More guns do not automatically make us safer, especially when those guns are permitted in public where people have been known to have impaired judgment. But that did not deter the Honorables from making it happen. Both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly have passed a law that allows people to carry guns into bars and restaurants.</p><p>It was a bad idea when it was introduced, and it is still a bad idea. Guns and alcohol do not mix, and a law barring armed patrons from drinking at the bar is no guarantee that they will be sober or maintain control of their firearm.</p><p>The ratified bill also allows concealed weapons on playgrounds, hiking trails and other public recreation areas, and it allows guns in locked cars on school and college campuses. In a separate provision in the state budget, lawmakers have sanctioned allowing armed volunteer guards – with no liability for any collateral damage if these unpaid "school resource officers" discharge their weapons "good-faith."</p><p>The bill on Gov. Pat McCrory's desk would require that these volunteers be retired officers or military police, and they would have to receive updated firearms training and instruction on children's social and mental development.</p><p>But there are better ways to make schools more secure, most of them involving better vigilance by school employees and building improvements that prevent unauthorized visitors from wandering the halls without an escort. The New Hanover County Schools recently commissioned a study that identified potential security risks and recommended ways to secure the buildings to keep unauthorized people out.</p><p>Locking doors, reinforcing them if necessary and controlling access points would ensure that visitors funnel into one area to be admitted to the school.</p><p>Beyond the security issues is the question of the type of school environment we want. Do we really want schools to be a place that resembles a prison more than a nurturing, inviting environment? Parents and the community should feel welcome at our schools, which need all the help they can get.</p><p>Armed guards at the front door or in the hallways convey a much different atmosphere.</p><p>Most middle and high schools already have at least one resource officer, mostly to handle problems that erupt among students. The call to put armed bodies in all schools was an emotional reaction to the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., but many school districts and county governing boards are having second thoughts about whether such extreme measures are necessary to provide the type of security the schools need.</p><p>Schools need to be smart and more vigilant about allowing visitors free rein. They should have a system that allows them to lock down areas in case of an unauthorized visitor or a nearby police chase. But we should not turn our schools into armed camps.</p><p>Children need a place that is safe and cheerful – inviting. They do not need a place where an armed guard greets parents and children at the door, conveying the opposite message: that they are never safe.</p>